Company description

The Maine Food Convergence Project (MFCP)

(mainefoodconvergence.org) works to build a coordinated, collaborative local food system that supports the well-being of people, communities, and the planet, with a focus on social and racial equity and environmental sustainability. Partnered with seven food system networks across Maine, we create spaces where people working on food, land, and climate issues can build relationships, explore collaborative solutions to complex challenges, and turn shared priorities into collective action. We work to grow community and deepen relationships so that, together, we can create more meaningful and lasting change.

MFCP is a fiscally sponsored project of Third Sector New England, Inc.

Local Food Switchboard Overview

Hosted by MFCP and funded collaboratively by Maine foundations and federal grants, the Local Food Switchboard serves as a central hub for coordinating logistics services within Maine's local food system. Specifically, it acts as a “virtual assistant” to the School Food Marketplace (SFM). The Switchboard streamlines local food procurement, connects various interest-holders in Maine's food system, and increases local food sourcing in schools and beyond. It provides detailed information on a) food products and businesses, b) processing, distribution and other supply web infrastructure, and c) food system resources such as financial and technical assistance.

Besides increasing nourishing local food in schools, a key goal of the Switchboard is to build stronger connections with food producers and harvesters who face systemic barriers to capital and market access due to racism, transphobia, ableism, classism, and immigration status. By fostering collaboration, we aim to support their infrastructure, equipment, market access, and resource needs, creating a more equitable and resilient food system.

Job description

Institutional Market Connector, Local Food Switchboard

Independent Contractor Scope of Services

MFCP seeks an independent contractor to perform Community Outreach for the Local Food Switchboard, bringing deep local relationships, food-system knowledge, and community-based expertise to populate and increase activation of the Switchboard within a defined region, community, and/or sector of Maine.

While the Switchboard's Central Operators stewards the platform and statewide strategy, Community Outreach Contractors bring an independent, place-based perspective to understanding and responding to the realities of producers, institutions, and communities on the ground.

The role is particularly focused on strengthening farm- and sea-to-institution connections, especially with K–12 public schools; supporting effective use of food-system infrastructure; and bridging gaps between supply-chain actors through both human coordination and effective use of the Switchboard platform.

Services and Responsibilities

Regional Coordination & Matchmaking

• Serve as a key regional and/or sectoral connector among producers, fishers, processors, distributors, institutional buyers, and other food-system interest-holders, with particular attention to K–12 public school markets.
• Facilitate relationships and connections across the supply chain that can help move local products into institutional markets.
• Support coordination related to aggregation, seasonality, storage, processing, transportation, and distribution.
• Identify barriers related to regulations, procurement requirements, infrastructure, market access, or other system conditions and help interest-holders identify potential
  pathways forward.
• Facilitate connections and problem-solving among interest-holders where the contractor's regional/sectoral/community knowledge and relationships can add value.

Relationship Building & Community Engagement

• Develop and maintain trust-based relationships with regional food-system interest-holders, including small and mid-sized food businesses.
• Engage directly with producers, fishers, processors, distributors, institutional buyers, and community-based businesses to understand needs, challenges, and opportunities.
• Strengthen connections with Farm & Sea to School networks and other relevant regional and statewide partners.
• Participate in regional meetings, events, networks, and other spaces where relationship-building and coordination can advance the Switchboard's goals.
• Bring in community and regional perspectives

Platform Activation & User Support

• Support food businesses, schools, and other food system entities in creating and maintaining Switchboard profiles, listings, and other relevant information.
• Help interest-holders translate real-world needs into effective use of the platform, including listings, searches, resource connections, and matchmaking.
• Offer user support that is responsive to varying levels of digital access, technological familiarity, and language access.
• Identify barriers to platform usability and accessibility and communicate recommendations for improvement to the MFCP team.

Data, Insights & System Feedback

• Maintain appropriate records of coordination activities, connections, referrals, and emerging regional needs.
• Contribute information, stories, and observations that demonstrate the real-world impacts of the Switchboard and illuminate gaps within the food system.
• Share relevant insights and recommendations with MFCP to inform platform improvements, program strategy, and broader systems-change efforts.

Collaboration & Learning

• Coordinate periodically with MFCP and other Switchboard contractors to support alignment across regional and statewide efforts.
• Participate in mutually agreed-upon learning, feedback, and reflection opportunities related to the ongoing development of the Switchboard model.
• Share regional insights that may inform policy, investment, infrastructure development, and program design.
• Contribute independent expertise and recommendations to the evolution of the Switchboard's regional coordination model.

Expected Outcomes / Deliverables

Over the course of the engagement, the contractor will contribute to the following outcomes:

• Stronger relationships and communication among regional, sectoral, and/or community food-system interest-holders.
• Increased connections between local producers, fishers, processors, distributors, and institutional buyers, particularly K–12 schools.
• Increased awareness and utilization of the Local Food Switchboard among regional interest-holders.
• Improved access to information about food-system infrastructure, resources, and market opportunities.
• Identification and documentation of regional supply-chain barriers and opportunities.
• Regional insights that contribute to ongoing improvement of the Switchboard platform and coordination model.
• Regularly agreed-upon updates, documentation, data, stories, and other deliverables demonstrating progress toward the above outcomes.

Qualifications & Experience

MFCP recognizes that no one person will have all of these qualifications and strongly encourages people with lived experience and diverse backgrounds to express interest.

Required or strongly preferred experience includes:

• Experience developing deep connections within food production, fisheries/aquaculture, processing, distribution, or related food-system sectors.
• Experience living and/or working in northern, central, or eastern Maine, depending on the contractor's proposed regional focus.
• Experience working with school nutrition programs, Farm & Sea to School systems, or institutional food procurement.
• Familiarity with regulatory environments related to food production, processing, distribution, and/or institutional procurement.
• Ability to build and foster relationships within rural, Wabanaki, immigrant, Amish, and/or other communities that have historically been underrepresented in food-system decision-making.
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to work across diverse sectors and communities.
• Experience with outreach, facilitation, community-based work, or network development.
• Ability to navigate complex systems and translate between different interest-holders, such as producers and institutions.
• Strong independent project management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple relationships, opportunities, and priorities with limited external direction.

Term: One year
Location: Remote, with travel within Maine as needed
Compensation: $58,742 total. $56/hr, App. 1050 hours total. Mileage reimbursed at the federal rate.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Location

job can be done remotely

Application instructions

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Deadline

October 15, 2026